The Power Commander Explained
The Power Commander is an ignition and fuel timing adjustment unit that works with your bikes standard Electronic Control Unit. With no need for cutting or splicing, the Power Commander (PC) connects inline using your factory connectors for a clean install. With such as easy installation process, the PC can be installed in as little as 5 minutes, with most installations taking less than 15 minutes on some models. Keep in mind that your motorcycle might be different.
Once the PCIII is installed, it goes to work making changes to the fuel and ignition curves via it's onboard processor. The advanced technology allows for a large area of adjustment without the need to replace the factory ECU, it's perfect for most mildly modified motorcycles that will not see extensive modifications in the future. It will also give you comfort to know that you can immediately return the bike back to its previous configuration simply by unplugging and removing the PCIII.
Your base map will be tailored to your particular bike. If you have an extensively modified Harley Davidson then you will need to contact the dealer to ensure that you end up with the correct configuration or one that is close enough that you can fine tune it using the adjustments. In most cases, your modifications will be a set of pipes and an air cleaner, which the base map can handle easily. The PCIII comes with software and a cable link that allows the user to make adjustments to the map file or to change the map completely and try a different base setup.
How Much Power Will a Power Commander Give Me?
The most common question we hear when it comes to the PC is this.....As for how much the Power Commander will increase power, this depends on a number of factors with the goal being to find the optimal air/fuel mix that will produce the most power.
Most riding is done at 40% throttle or less and the PCIII will really shine in this area. Too many riders expect to pick up a ton of horsepower on the top end but that simply isn't where the bottleneck is on most stock, or near stock motorcycles. This is where the PCIII will really strut it's stuff.
What does this translate to for the average motorcycle? Well on a Harley about 6-8 horsepower in the 40% throttle range or 3500 ish RPMs. This is power that is very noticeable to even a casual rider and can be felt the instant the PCIII is installed.
How Do I Tune My Fuel Curve With the Power Commander?
The Power Commander is shipped with a base map stored internally to the on board microprocessor. This base map is designed to get your tune very close. The adjustments on the PCIII then allow minor modifications to the fuel curve and timing to dial it in and get it perfect. DynoJet engineers estimate that prior to a Power Commander being installed, most bikes range from 60-70% optimized, while after installation, fuel curve can be optimized to somewhere between 85% and 95%, which is a significant improvement.
As an added bonus, the PC ships with alternate maps installed on a CD-ROM and with access to downloading maps from the Dynojet Power Commander website. With various brands to choose from based on your particular bike, you're sure to find a base map that will greatly improve performance. Even if you have an exhaust system not listed, choosing a different brand can still offer plenty of optimization and the adjustments will allow you to tailor it to your pipe.
The maps are built to be used with Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP, but upon request, the dealer can install other maps at the time of purchase.
With special software called Control Center and either a USB or Serial Cable, uploading of maps is easy as is making changes to the existing map.
The software also allows for changing the fuel curve using the Faceplate buttons to allow for a richer or leaner curve in each area of the map with full instructions contained in the manual as well as a video supplied on the CD-ROM.
Although most of the modifications are made to the fuel system, certain models like the Harley-Davidson PCIII USB and all other PCIII's do have the ability to adjust the ignition curve. Some of the modifications to the ignition system include improving peak power and throttle response while also giving the option to eliminate detonation.
While the ignition curve is optimized for regular fuel, it is still possible to adjust the timing to increase part throttle torque while on high octane fuel models further optimization can be achieved even at full throttle. For Harley-Davidson fans, adjusting ignition curve can reduce timing advance and pinging can be eliminated, which is most noticeable during hot weather or when carrying a heavy load.
Conclusion
To summarize, if you intend to change the pipes on your Harley Davidson motorcycle then you are most likely going to need to make minor changes to your fuel and timing curves in order to get the motorcycle optimized to take advantage of the pipes. The PCIII is one of the most consistent and easy to install systems for your Harley Davidson and will allow you to get back on the road in the quickest amount of time.
The Power Commander can be as sophisticated as you need it to be or as simple as you would like it to be all at the same time depending on your needs. If you would prefer, then it can be a plug-and-play or you could have it custom mapped to your own specific motorcycle setup. Another benefit of the PCIII is that if you do decide to change Harleys, you can take your Power Commander with you and install it in your new ride.
Simple, Convenient and reasonably priced...what more would you want? Check out the Power Commander Lineup here.